Need a Hand
by rubylucasridinghoodmeghanory
Summary: This was meant to be a brief little one-shot of Ruby and Belle, but I decided to extend it. It is completely untrue since we know that the characters never age, but it was fun to write anyway. (and the image really has nothing to do with the story, but it's awesome).
1. Collision

Belle was running late – something that never happened, something that shouldn't happen; but unfortunately, people tended to delay her on purpose. Today was no better.

The problem was that Belle wasn't cool; Belle liked to read; Belle liked to be educated; Belle liked to learn; and that just wasn't tolerated in high school.

Normally, she was strong enough to brush it off and take pleasure in her classes and books, but today was different. _He _was supposed to be her friend; _he_ was the one person Belle had thought was her friend.

Between her anger and her hurried steps, Belle was called abruptly back to reality by a foot, and she tripped onto the ground, the large pile of books she'd been carrying spilling out in front of her.

"Watch it!" said a defensive girl as Belle brushed off her knees and began to pick herself up off the floor. Everyone kept walking past her; no one bothered to help … as usual.

"Sorry," she mumbled as the bell rang, and Aurora and Ella walked into the nearest classroom, making a point to be fashionably late.

"Need a hand?" Belle looked up to see Ruby Lucas – the prettiest girl in school, known for her questionable reputation but surprisingly honorable reliability. She was smiling kindly as she crouched and began stacking up Belle's books.

"Th – thank you," she stuttered, and Ruby smirked.

"Why do you sound so amazed?"

"It's just – well – nobody really notices me," Belle said quietly, an embarrassed smile on her face.

"Don't beat yourself up about it. Being noticed isn't as awesome as everyone seems to think. Here," Ruby handed Belle her books and stood up, extending her hand, which Belle took.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, Belle's hand still in Ruby's before they separated, pink in the face. "I should – um – I should probably get to class. I'm already late."

"Screw class," Ruby grinned. "Come on; let's skip."

"R – really? I've never skipped before."

Ruby laughed, but it was a laugh that caused Belle to laugh too, instead of turn pink with humiliation. "You don't say."

"I kind of like to learn," she confessed.

"Fair enough; I could teach you how to fold a napkin into the shape of a wolf," said Ruby, whose grandmother owned the local diner.

Belle smiled at her persistence. "Okay, but only because it's a wolf."

"You like wolves?" Ruby raised an eyebrow.

"I always have," shrugged Belle. "It's been that way as long as I can remember."

Ruby grabbed her hand again and pulled her around the hallway and out-of-sight. "Then what are we waiting for?"


	2. Souvenirs

**You asked for it :) so here it is.**

"Wow, I never would have believed it, but that is the coolest wolf-napkin I've ever seen," Belle gaped as Ruby finished demonstrating, using intricate folding patterns and exact measurements.

Ruby smirked as she leaned into the tiled bathroom wall, one of her black high-heeled boots bent up against it. "It's pretty easy."

"_Easy_? That took you ten minutes."

She laughed. "Now you try."

Belle grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser and folded it in half so that it now resembled a triangle. "Okay … now what?"

Still grinning widely, Ruby pushed herself up off the wall and walked over to Belle, who was resting against the sink. "Take that edge and fold it over to the other side," she instructed, and Belle did so. "Now fold that flap up and over."

"This one?"

"No," Ruby lightly grabbed her hand, sending unusual tingles throughout Belle's fingers, and moved it across the paper. "This one."

"R – right," stuttered Belle as she somehow managed to tear the napkin in half. Ruby laughed. "Well, you almost got it."

"Sure I did," she said sarcastically, sighing in frustration.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you just keep this one?" Ruby held out the wolf she had made; it sat like an obedient dog on her hand.

"What would I do with a paper wolf?" asked Belle. "Besides, you put all that work into it."

"I can easily make another one right now; don't you want a souvenir from the first time you skipped class?" she teased.

"The first time? I think you mean the only time. I can't afford to miss class. What if we learned something important?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "What's the point of learning? It's not like we can ever leave this place. Nobody ever makes it out of Storybrooke; I know I'm going to be stuck waitressing at the stupid diner, and I don't need a college degree for that."

"Well, I want to get out of here. I want to see the world."

"Did you ever think that maybe," Ruby hesitated, "that maybe this is it? Maybe Storybrooke is the only real place in the world?"

"What?" Belle asked, throwing the paper towel into the garbage can and turning back to look at Ruby curiously. She was looking into the sink, as if trying to avoid Belle's eyes on purpose.

"Think about it. Nobody ever comes, and nobody ever leaves. What if Storybrooke _is_ the world? Then, we really are stuck here."

"I refuse to believe that. … Ruby, there is so much out there we can explore. You could come with me; we could have an adventure together," she said eagerly.

"Oh come on, Belle. I'm not the right kind of girl to hang around with. Everyone thinks I'm a slut, and you're kind of – well – a goody-two-shoes."

"Excuse me?!" Belle pretended to be offended, and Ruby snapped her head up, but relaxed as she saw the smile on Belle's face.

"You know I'm right," she said sadly. "I wish we could be friends, but we're so different."

This time, Belle was the one to grab Ruby's hand. "First of all, everyone does not think you're a slut, but even if they did, that wouldn't make you one. … You can't define yourself by what others think of you."

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so," Belle nodded, surprised to see Ruby's eyes glisten with tears. "And who says we can't be friends?"

"I just didn't think you'd want to be friends with someone like me. I'm dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Belle scoffed. "How are you dangerous?"

Ruby smiled and winked. "I could easily ruin your goody-goody reputation." She leaned back against the sink too, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Would you stop?" Belle laughed. "I don't care what happens to me as long as I get to spend more time with you." She stopped suddenly; that was not something you said to someone you barely knew, to someone you had just met.

But to her surprise, Ruby turned to her with a large smile on her face and slowly wrapped her arms around Belle's waist, pulling her in for a hug.

Belle was taken aback but upon feeling the warmth that seemed to radiate from Ruby, she wrapped her arms around the girl and caught a whiff of her hair – coffee, no doubt from the diner, and shampoo.

She closed her eyes for a brief moment before Ruby pulled away. There was a look in her eyes that Belle could not ignore. She was leaning forward, and an alarm sounded in Belle's head, but her heart was slapping the snooze button and urging her forward.

She was so close, and she was so beautiful, and her soft brown hair was tickling Belle's nose. She could taste Ruby's breath on her lips; she could feel the warmth of it on her face, and goosebumps travelled down her spine. Ruby's eyes bore into Belle's with the deepest longing. She had never noticed just how green they were or just how beautiful or how many freckles she had or how many eyelashes and how fast they were fluttering until they closed.

And then Ruby's soft lips brushed against Belle's, and it was as if a fire had erupted inside of her. Both girls caught their breath, and Belle's hand slid into Ruby's hair as Ruby pulled her closer.

Belle's blue skirt was still pressed against the sink as Ruby pulled back, her hands resting on Belle's waist and a horrified expression on her face. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that."

Belle was still trying to breathe as she said, "Do it again."

"What?" Ruby gasped.

"Kiss me again," she whispered cautiously, her head falling down as her cheeks flushed pink.

Ruby's finger brushed against her chin and lifted it up. "If you say so," she mumbled, her lips centimeters from Belle's, and Belle closed the distance eagerly.

From somewhere that seemed far away, the bell rang. For a moment, Ruby and Belle continued to kiss until the door banged open, and they immediately separated, straightening their clothes and trying to avoid looking at each other. But Belle could not stop smiling, and Ruby kept throwing sideways glances at her as she put more lipstick on her already bright red lips.


	3. Asleep

The warning bell rang, and Belle sadly turned to Ruby as the bathroom began to clear out. "I really have to get to class," she whined.

"Of course you do," Ruby rolled her eyes but smiled. "Can I talk to you later?"

Belle nodded enthusiastically. "How about at lunch? I usually play piano in the choir room if you want to come in there with me."

"You don't – eat?" asked Ruby curiously.

"No, I have this stupid recital coming up; my father's making me do it, and I have nowhere else to practice."

"It's a date," she winked.

"Okay," Belle picked up her books. "Bye," she said feebly, her cheeks turning pink once again as Ruby waved back.

She might as well have skipped class because all Belle could think about was Ruby. For the first time in her life, she did not take notes, and she did not pay the slightest amount of attention to anything her teachers said.

Lunch could not have come any slower, and Belle had never walked faster through the halls until she finally reached the shiny black piano bench and sat on it, running her hands through her hair anxiously and taking deep breaths.

_This is so stupid,_ she thought. _Ruby probably won't even come. I think you can finally come to the conclusion that you're certifiably crazy, Belle. _

Shaking her head at herself, Belle placed her fingers over the white keys and played a relatively simple song: Asleep by The Smiths. This was the song her mother used to play for her before she died. Every time Belle played it, it was as if her mother was still here somehow, and this made it her favorite song above all others.

When she hit the final note, she heard soft, slow applause coming from the side and turned her head to see Ruby. "You – you actually came," she said happily, and Belle's face fell slightly. "And you actually heard me playing, didn't you?"

Ruby walked forward slowly. "Yes, and I'm very glad I did."

Belle turned red in embarrassment.

"So are there any words to that song?"

"Of course," Belle sighed as Ruby sat next to her on the bench.

"Sing it for me," she said eagerly.

"What?" gasped Belle.

"Sing it … please?"

"I'm almost one thousand percent certain you don't want to hear that."

Ruby batted her eyebrows, her big doe eyes pleading silently with Belle as she leaned in close, her lips stopping so close to Belle's mouth that she could feel the air between them. "Please?" she mumbled.

"That's just unfair," Belle whispered back.

Ruby raised her eyebrows as the tension built further and further until finally Belle agreed.

As she began to play the intro, she felt Ruby's head on her shoulder and smirked to herself. Then she started to sing. How Belle hated the sound of her own voice, and even Ruby looked serious and glassy-eyed. When Belle reached the lyrics "_I don't want to wake up on my own anymore_", she could have sworn her shoulder was starting to feel wet, but she kept going.

She hit the final note for a second time, and Ruby hurriedly sat up straight and rubbed her eyes, turning away from Belle and whispering, "Damn it, damn it, damn it."

Belle didn't know whether or not to laugh, given the amount of times she herself had cried after listening to this song.

"Are you – are you okay?" she asked cautiously, and Ruby turned to face her, her make-up smeared under her eyes.

"Damn you, Belle," she said, a small smile curving onto her lips.

"Sorry, I told you you wouldn't want to hear that."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Your singing is not the problem; in fact, it was," she thought for a moment, "angelic."

"Thanks, but I'm still sorry." Belle nudged her playfully; Ruby returned it half-heartedly. "Are you sure you're all right?"

There was a far-off look in her eyes. "I'm fine," she replied quietly as she stood up. "I really should go."

Belle stood up too. "Where are you going?"

"I think I just need to be on my own for a while."

"Oh – okay," said Belle quietly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she called as she sped from the room. Belle could hear her voice crack as she spoke, and she longed to go after her, but maybe Ruby didn't want her to. Maybe Ruby didn't want Belle to be around her at all anymore.

They had only just met, and already, Belle was in over-her-head, acting compulsively and creating scenarios in her head that would never happen.

She really was insane. How could she have truly believed that someone like Ruby could ever love someone like her?

**For anyone who hasn't heard the song Asleep by The Smiths, you should definitely listen to it; it is by far the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and the reason I chose it will be revealed later. I'm actually quite happy you all convinced me to continue writing this story :) And yes, I heard Asleep after reading/watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower.**


	4. Wants

**This chapter is a huge step up on maturity level than previous chapters. You have been warned.**

Tears were pouring silently down Ruby's face as she clutched her knees closer to her and buried her face in between them. Her back pressed painfully against the metal bars under the bleachers, but she did not care at the moment.

She was exhausted. From the minute she woke up to the minute she fell asleep, everyone wanted something from her. Granny wanted her to do her chores and to be responsible, as if that was the easiest thing in the world. Her father wanted her to buy more beer, as if she could. All the girls wanted her to be a bitch and gossip with them about all the boys. All the boys wanted her to have sex with them and then ask her which girls she thought would be good in bed. And all Ruby wanted was to be invisible. But she _never_ was. Ever. That was why she couldn't be in love with Belle; Ruby knew she wasn't good enough to be with someone as innocent as the beautiful girl.

"Ruby?" She turned slowly to see Frank Whale, a senior who was one year older than her, and just about to turn 17, saunter over and sit beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Frank, just go away."

"Yeah, sure, look I came over here to ask if you wanted to – well, you know."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Get out of here, Frank."

"Oh come on, Ruby. I got so close last time. I'll – I'll even pay you," he reached into his pocket.

"What the hell do you think I am?! A prostitute?!"

He laughed. "Yeah, everyone does, and it's because you act like one … or haven't you noticed?" Ruby narrowed her eyes. "So are we gonna have sex or not? I have practice in half an hour."

"You're disgusting," Ruby stood up, but he grabbed her wrist forcefully and pulled her back down.

"Am I? That's not what you said two months ago. Don't you remember? When we _almost_ did it, but you got scared at the last second and ran off? Before that, I seem to recall you saying something along the lines of 'don't stop! Don't stop!'" He laughed as Ruby stopped trying to pull her wrist away. "That's my girl, Ruby."

Frank kissed her aggressively, and Ruby pushed as hard as she could against his chest. "Get – off – me!" she shouted, but he twisted her around so that she was pinned underneath him.

"Don't worry; I brought protection, all right?" Ruby struggled harder as he held her arms against the cold, hard ground.

His hands slid down to unbutton her leather jacket as he began to kiss her neck. It was disgusting; for a quarterback and a straight-A student, he was the lowest scum and worst kisser Ruby had ever known.

The worst part came when he very slowly inched his hand up her shirt, his rough hands brushing against her stomach before tearing it in half, leaving Ruby exposed except for a black lacy bra, which Frank began to unfasten despite her continued protests.

"What the hell is going on over here?" Ruby heard David, the kindest boy in school, round the corner and was going to beg him to help when Frank kissed her and practically shoved his tongue in her mouth, cutting off any form of speech. The hurried sound of crunching gravel told her he wasn't coming back any time soon. And why should he? This was just an "average day" for Ruby.

There was a sick smile on Frank's face as he slowly unzipped his jeans. "Frank," she whispered, refusing to cry but on the brink of doing so anyway. "Please. Please don't make me do this."

"Shut up, Ruby." He kissed her again, and when he was just about to shove her hands down his pants, Ruby kicked harder than she had ever kicked anything in her life, and Frank immediately let go of her and began rolling around on the ground.

Ruby wanted to beat him until he was dead, but more than that, she wanted to get as far away from here as she could. So she hurriedly put on her bra and wrapped her leather jacket around her arms and took off at as fast of a walk as she could with her hands shaking, her legs tripping and her entire body shivering and no idea where she was going.

"**Ruby?! Where have you been?!"** Ruby recognized Granny's voice as she stepped over the threshold of her apartment and her old, annoying grandmother ran up to her. "It is far past your curfew, young lady!"

"Ruby, get your ass in this house!" she heard her father call from the living room, his speech slurring greatly.

"Granny, I can explain – " Ruby was pretty impressed she had managed to speak, let alone find her way home after hours of wandering around in a daze.

"I don't want to hear your excuses; this is the third night this week, Ruby! You go upstairs _now_ and no dinner."

Ruby felt frustrated tears fall from her eyes as she turned back around and left, slamming the door behind her and ignoring her grandmother's shouts.

Now Ruby _really_ had no idea where she was headed. She just let her feet keep moving because if they did, then she wouldn't ever have to stop and think. Think about all the times she said yes when she shouldn't have, the times she wanted to say no but didn't, the times she wanted to say yes just so she could be distracted. And it made her sick to her stomach.

Ruby keeled over and threw up on someone's lawn; it was neat and trimmed, as was the house … until Ruby arrived. She heard the door slam open. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" a deep male voice shouted as a hand grabbed the back of her shirt.

"I – I'm sorry," she stuttered, the horrid taste of vomit still on her tongue. "I didn't mean to."

"No doubt you've been drinking," he said angrily. "All you teens are always drinking your lives away."

"Father! Get off her!" Ruby looked up to see the miracle that was Belle walking towards them angrily. "She's not drunk."

Ruby's knees shook violently as the man let her go. "Please come inside, Ruby. We can get you some water and call your Granny. She must be worried sick about you."

Belle offered her hand, a look of concern growing on her face, and Ruby took it, leaning heavily against her as they walked into the house.

Belle sat her down on the soft couch that filled only a tenth of the large sitting room. There were pictures everywhere – most of them featuring a young girl with bouncing brown girls who was usually accompanied by an older woman that looked both happy and sad at the same time.

"Here," Belle came back with a cup of water and held it out to Ruby, who took it while her rings clattered constantly against the glass as her hands shook. "Ruby, you look as white as a ghost. … And why is your wrist bruised?! What happened?!"

Ruby looked down. "Come on; let's go up to my room," said Belle as she slowly pulled her up. They headed up the large flight of stairs to a bedroom on the first right.

The white door opened to reveal a king-size bed, a desk with a chair, a dresser and books – hundreds of them, stacked everywhere.

Belle led the way to her bed and sat down on it, waiting for Ruby to sit beside her. When she did, Belle asked in a soft voice, "Ruby, what happened to you?"

Ruby didn't say anything; she didn't know that she could say anything anymore. "Ruby?" Belle tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Ruby's ear. "Please," she leaned in closer, and Ruby was finding it hard to ignore her, but she couldn't bear to tell her.

"Ruby, I just want to make sure you're okay," she said. "Who did this to you?"

"Whale," Ruby uttered.

"Whale? Frank Whale?" The concern on Belle's eyes was growing rapidly. "What did he do, sweetheart?"

"He – he tried to – to – " Ruby couldn't say it, so she cautiously unzipped her leather jacket and revealed her almost entirely bare chest.

Belle's hand flew to her mouth. "No," she gasped as Ruby closed her coat again and essentially fell into Belle's lap. She shivered violently as she felt Belle's hands brush soothingly against her cheek.

Ruby lay there for a few seconds as Belle reached behind her and grabbed a blanket off the bed, throwing it over Ruby. "Do you want to go home?" she asked. Ruby could tell she didn't know what to do.

"No," mumbled Ruby, thinking of her father.

"Do you want to stay here tonight?"

She nodded, unexplainably feeling safe around Belle. "Can I? Your father – "

"Don't you worry about my father; I'm going to keep you safe." Belle kissed Ruby's forehead gently.

"You – you would do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you." There was something so familiar about that phrase to Ruby, which was strange considering no one had ever said that to her in her life.

Ruby took a while to relax, but Belle sat with her until she did, stroking her hair and speaking softly to her. It was the best sleep Ruby had ever gotten.

**Please keep reviewing; it really motivates me to keep writing as soon as I can. Thank you so much for all the wonderful things you've said about the story so far :)**


	5. Hangovers

When Ruby opened her eyes, there was a fluffy pillow under her head. She was lying on Belle's bed, her jacket still zipped up protectively and a blanket draped over her shoulders. Belle was beside her, sound asleep; her breathing came in slow, deep sighs that filled Ruby's heart with longing.

Belle looked so cute in her light blue pajama pants as her black tank top hugged tightly to her chest; her hair fell in curls around her gorgeous face which rested inches from her fingers.

Ruby wanted to stay there forever, but she felt so awkward simply being in Belle's neat and tidy house, let alone sleeping in her bed, especially considering they'd only known each other for a day and had already kissed.

Ruby had never felt more vulnerable in her life; every kiss she'd had with a boy had been full of lust, and the only time she'd ever been in love was with Peter, but that had ended in the worst kind of heart break.

Never before had she kissed someone who kissed her back like she mattered. Never before had Ruby been able to be herself and be treated with kindness simply for kindness' sake.

That was why Ruby just could not believe that Belle would be with somebody like her. They didn't make any sense.

Ruby sat up slowly, running her hand through her messy hair, wishing she had a straightener.

Belle let out a soft moan beside her and rolled onto her back; very slowly, Ruby slid off the bed, hoping not to wake her. She walked to the door and had the doorknob gripped in her hand when she tripped over a pile of books, which tumbled into another pile of books, and both piles hit the floor with a series of thumps.

"Ruby?" Belle yawned as she sat up. "Where are you going?"

"I was - um - I was just - "

"You were leaving," she said bluntly, "weren't you?"

Ruby nodded awkwardly, her hand still wrapped around the doorknob.

"You're afraid," she said; it was not a question.

"No, I'm not," Ruby turned around defensively.

"Yes, you are. You don't understand what's going on between us." Belle hopped off the bed and walked over to Ruby. "It's okay," she said, and she placed her hand over Ruby's on the doorknob.

Ruby stiffened at her touch. "Belle - "

"Ruby, it's okay that you're scared."

"Belle - "

"I'm scared too; I don't really understand what's happening any more than you do."

"Belle! ... What - what did you think this was? Did you expect to be in a - in a relationship or something? We just kissed; that's all."

"Just kissed?!" Belle was affronted. "That's all it was to you then?"

"It was a mistake; we got caught up in the moment, and, I don't know, it just sort of happened."

"Ruby, I've never kissed anyone before, but I'm pretty sure that kiss was more than just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill kiss."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way," Ruby said softly, turning back to the door.

"Don't do this, Ruby. Don't do this to yourself. We can make this work."

"No. We can't."

"Yes! We can! Stop trying to push me away, and just let me in! I want to be with you!" Belle's eyes were glistening with tears.

"You barely even know me. Why would you want to be with someone like me? I'm nothing," Ruby whispered.

"You're everything." Her tears finally spilled over her eyelids.

"Belle - "

"Just get out of here, Ruby!"

Ruby twisted the doorknob open and shut it gently behind her, thoroughly disgusted with herself.

* * *

"Ruby? Is that you?"

"Yeah, can I come in?"

"Of course you can," Graham held open the door to his house. "Why are you up so early? Isn't it Saturday?"

"Do you have it?" she asked.

"If by _it_, you mean - "

"You know what I mean, Graham. Just give it to me."

"Ruby, I don't think this is a good idea." But he was already leading her into the basement.

"I don't care what you think."

"Oh come on; I'm your friend, Ruby." He pulled open the mini-fridge and set a six-pack of beer on the counter. "This is the third time this week you've come over for drinks."

"So what?"

"You're going to kill yourself or get in trouble, and then I'm going to get in trouble."

"Please," she scoffed as she popped the lid off and took a sip. "Your parents are never home."

"Yeah, I'm well aware of that." Graham opened a bottle too. "Thanks for reminding me."

"When did life get so shitty?" she asked.

"Hasn't it always been like this?" he laughed darkly.

Ruby nodded in agreement, taking a few gulps of the revolting liquid.

"I don't even feel anything anymore; it's just emptiness."

"I know, and just when you think you feel something, you realize it's too good to be true. It's like - it's like a fairy tale that you could never be in because of who you are."

"And who is this fairy tale?" winked Graham as he hiccuped.

"No one," she rolled her eyes.

"It's not Mary Margaret again, is it? Because I thought you were over that doe-eyed teacher's pet."

"No, it's not Mary Margaret," Ruby sighed as she drained the last of the bottle and reached for another. "Do you know Belle?"

"Belle French?"

Ruby nodded guiltily, and Graham laughed. "Well, well, well, Ruby Lucas, tell me more."

"There's nothing to tell, okay?"

"Oh of course not. You're just having drinks at my house at nine in the morning because life's fantastic." He wore a smug expression on his face.

Ruby paused; she really didn't want to tell anyone, but Graham had always been honest with her. "We kissed yesterday. ... And then, she helped me out last night. But - I don't do relationships, Graham. You know that."

"So you like her?"

"Oh yeah," Ruby smiled. "She's amazing; she's so smart and funny, and she has the cutest smile, and her hair is so soft, and her skin is even softer, and her laugh - " She stopped at the look on Graham's face. "What?"

"You've never talked about anyone like that, Ruby. Not even Mary Margaret."

"And that's why I can't be in a relationship with her."

"I'm not following you at all ... although that might just be the alcohol."

"I care about her too much to watch her get hurt because of me."

"Oh come on, Ruby, give yourself a little credit."

"Don't you remember Peter?" she took a particularly large gulp of beer, and Graham turned serious as soon as she uttered his name.

"Of course I remember Peter."

"Then you remember that he ... _died_. ... Because I was drunk, and he was stupid enough to get in the car with me."

"He wasn't stupid. He was in love with you."

"Yeah, well ... love is stupid."

"I know you don't believe that," Graham said sadly. "Why else would you be here?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You love her, Ruby."

She sighed. "And that's exactly why I have to let her go."

* * *

"Belle? Are you all right? You're awfully quiet today, and you haven't turned a page in your book in fifteen minutes."

"I'm fine, dad," Belle said vaguely as she sat up in her chair and gave up, setting her book on the coffee table.

"Are you sure, darling?"

"Yeah ... I'm just going to take a shower."

"Belle ... that girl from last night ... she stayed the night, didn't she?"

Belle nodded, avoiding his eyes.

"That's Ruby Lucas, isn't it? I've seen her around her grandmother's restaurant."

"Yeah, dad, that's her. Why?"

"It's just - I've heard some things about her, and I'm not sure that she's the kind of girl you should be hanging around with."

"What things have you heard?" Belle asked defensively, with a tone of warning in her voice.

"Just that she - oh how do I put this - she gets around."

"Dad," Belle said through gritted teeth, "there is _nothing_ wrong with Ruby." Her father looked away awkwardly. "I'll be in the shower," she said as the doorbell rang suddenly.

She walked to the door and pulled it open. To her surprise, Ruby was standing there, still dressed in her leather jacket and dirty jeans. Her eyes were sunken and wandering aimlessly. "Hey, Belle," she said flirtatiously with an eager smile.

"What do you want, Ruby?"

"Belle, I was - I was stupid. I want to be with you too." Her voice was slurred heavily as she crossed the threshold of the door. "I want you, baby," she whispered, placing her hand gently on Belle's cheek and moving in to kiss her neck.

"You're drunk," Belle kept the distance between them with her hand.

"No, I'm not."

"And my dad is in the other room," she said quietly.

"I don't care." Ruby leaned forward slowly until her lips were barely touching Belle's. She really wanted to kiss her back; she wanted it so much, but she knew she could never do it this way.

"Well, I do. ... You know, if you had come to me sober, I would take you back. You wouldn't have even had to apologize."

"Really?" she asked, looking as confused as a lost puppy.

"Yes," Belle pushed her away gently. "I love you. ... Try to remember that for when you're not drunk off your ass." She kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Ruby looked down awkwardly, running her hand roughly through her hair.

"Are you going to make it home okay?"

"I can't go home," Ruby laughed. "Granny would know I was hungover."

"Why don't I ... come with you for a while and make sure you don't get into trouble?"

"So what it is this? A date?" That confident, sexy smile returned to her face.

Belle couldn't help but laugh. "No dates while you're drunk. For today, we'll just be friends." She grabbed her keys from the hook by the door. "Let's go."


	6. Secrets

"Whoa, easy," Belle laughed as Ruby stumbled into her side. "How much did you drink?"

"This much," Ruby held her arms out wide as she smiled broadly and doubled over laughing.

"I see. … Now make sure to look both ways before you cross the street," Belle teased before stepping onto the crosswalk, Ruby at her heels.

She felt a hand slip into her own. "You're supposed to hold hands when you cross the street," Ruby smiled with a wink.

Belle immediately dropped her hand, despite her mental protests. "Ruby, people could see." She looked around nervously. "I thought you didn't want anyone to know."

Ruby stared at her, looking dazed. "I want a milkshake," she said after a minute, catching Belle by surprise, but she decided to roll with the punches.

"Well, your granny makes a hell of a milkshake, but I don't think we should go near the diner. And I don't even think there's another place to eat in this town."

"Please, Belle," Ruby pleaded, batting her big doe eyelashes.

"Oh all right, but you're staying outside."

They made their way to Granny's slowly as Ruby could barely walk in a straight line. She kept falling onto Belle and garbage cans and lampposts and railings, and by the time they reached the diner, Belle would have been willing to carry her.

"You stay over here," Belle said seriously, gesturing to the galleria that sat beside the diner. "Don't even think about coming within sight of the window."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Okay, Belle," she sighed, leaning against the windowsill.

Belle left her hesitantly, heading into Granny's Diner with one last glance over her shoulder. So far, so good, she thought. A bell chimed above her head as she swung the door open and stepped up to the counter.

Granny was looking nervous and agitated as she asked Belle for her order.

"One large strawberry milkshake and – two hamburgers to go, please."

Granny raised her eyebrows.

"One's for my father," she explained nervously, trying hard to keep her eye line from wandering to the window.

"Of course," the old woman nodded and went to make the order.

The time could not have passed any slower; Belle's fingers drummed against the counter-top impatiently, and when one large cup and a brown paper bag was placed in front of her, she smiled gratefully and practically ran from the diner, ignoring the strange stares and almost silent giggles.

"You did it!" Ruby cried happily when Belle returned and placed the milkshake in Ruby's hand.

"I got you a burger too – figured some food would be good for you."

"Belle, I can't have a burger," she laughed. "It's too greasy, and – damn it - " Her face suddenly turned serious, and she turned away from Belle and vomited all over the sidewalk.

"See? I feel sick now," she mumbled.

"Sorry," Belle said guiltily, shying away from the puddle. Ruby stood up, swaying slightly, and took a small sip of her milkshake. "It's okay; I'm all better now," she said, a smile returning to her face.

"Sure you are," replied Belle with heavy sarcasm. "Let's get out of here."

"Where are we going now?"

"Back to my house – my father will be at work by now."

Ruby walked by her side all the way back, losing energy with every step. By the time they reached Belle's living room, Ruby fell face-first onto the couch, milkshake in hand, and fell asleep.

Sighing with amused frustration, Belle set the cup on a coaster and covered Ruby with a blanket before finally going to take a shower.

* * *

Ruby woke up with her head pounding. She didn't remember much of anything - Graham drinking body shots off of her, a huge black splotch of nothing, something about a milkshake, and to her immense embarrassment, a lot of stumbling into Belle, but other than that, her life was a blur.

"How do you feel?" A kind voice asked, and Ruby turned around sharply as light blinded her.

"Like shit," she whispered, covering her eyes with her hand.

Ruby expected her to laugh knowingly and scold her; that was what Mary Margaret used to do, but instead, she asked concernedly, "Do you want some water?"

"That would be amazing," Ruby said gratefully, taken by surprise, and she heard Belle leave the room quickly, returning less than a minute later. The glass hit the table gently, but it sounded like thunder. "I threw up, didn't I?" she asked after a few minutes of the taste becoming stronger in the back of her throat.

"Yeah ... it was my fault; I'm sorry. I bought you a hamburger because I thought it might help, but the smell must have made you sick or something. I'm so sorry," she said again.

Ruby laughed. "Belle, I threw up because I was drunk. It's not your fault." She opened her eyes at last and took a large gulp of water. "Thank you - for taking such good care of me," Ruby said quietly as she played with the glass in her hands.

"That's what friends do."

"Friends?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, friends - that's what _you_ wanted." Belle's voice was colder now, almost bitter, and she crossed her arms.

Ruby sat back on the couch, rubbing her eyes. "Belle, I like you - a lot - probably too much considering we barely even know each other. And I know I just fucked everything up."

"Ruby ... why would you get drunk?" Belle whispered. "You're barely 17; the drinking age is 21."

"I know, Belle," Ruby snapped. " ... Sorry ... it's just - my life is a mess."

"I understand," she nodded, "but you're going to kill yourself, Ruby."

"So what? What's the point of living when your life's shit?"

"How is your life shit?" Belle asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

Ruby hesitated but decided to try and open herself up a bit, especially since she was now stuck in the "friend-zone". "My dad's an alcoholic waste of space who doesn't give a flying fuck about anything but the couch, the TV, and a bottle of beer. My mom took off after she gave birth to me, so now I'm stuck living with my stupid, condescending grandmother, who - "

" - Oh yeah! Your life sure is _shit, _Ruby." Belle laughed cruelly. She looked furious, and Ruby had no idea why, until she started yelling. "At least you have a mum! I spent eight years of my life listening to my mother play that stupid song on the piano, but I was too young to understand what it meant. ... One day ... I went out to the garage to get my bike ... and the car was on ... and she was slumped up against the wheel ... I thought she was asleep." Belle was on the verge of tears, her hands were trembling, and her voice cracked. Ruby wanted nothing more than to be deaf, so she wouldn't have to hear what happened next.

"So I went to wake her up ... but she wouldn't wake up ... and she wouldn't wake up ... and then ... my father came and ... and he was shouting at me. ... 'What did you do?' ... 'What the hell did you do, Belles?'" Belle was positively sobbing now, somehow managing to get out understandable words.

"He called the ambulance ... and then he went to the hospital ... and he left me alone ... for eight hours. ... He came back drunk ... didn't even look at me ... just told me she killed herself."

Ruby had never felt more guilty in her life; tears were falling down her eyes, but Belle was choking violently on her sobs. Ruby wanted to wrap her arms around her, but she didn't know if that would be allowed.

Finally, Ruby just couldn't take it anymore. She knelt beside Belle's chair, grabbed her hand and pulled her down gently.

Her shoulder instantly felt wet, and Belle clung to her tightly. Ruby was nervous; she had never done this before. "Hey, it's - it's okay, Belle. Let it out." Ruby tried stroking her hair the way Belle had done last night. "I'm here. It's okay."

She slowly began to gain confidence and kissed her lightly on the side of the head as she whispered, "I've got you, and I won't ever let you go."

Because now, Ruby understood. Belle was abandoned - just like her. And how could Ruby leave someone who truly understood what she was going through? So the answer was simple: Ruby would never leave her.

"Yes, you will. You're going to leave me - like she did." Belle pulled away, slowly wiping underneath her eyes, but it did nothing. Mascara was still smeared across her cheeks, and she continued to cry.

Ruby thought for a minute - _hard_. This would be the first time she'd been in a relationship, and it would be a fragile one. But maybe that was what she needed - a change. And she _did_ want to be with Belle. "No, I won't," Ruby said confidentially. "I promise. ... It's not going to be easy, and I'm going to suck at it in the beginning, but ... I want to be your girlfriend. I want to make you happy."

"Really?" she sniffled quietly, her voice nearly indistinguishable between sobs.

"Really, really," Ruby replied with a soft smile, and she wrapped Belle in her arms again. "I'm sorry I was such an idiot; I shouldn't have been so self-centered."

"No, I'm sorry. Your life isn't perfect, and I shouldn't have acted the way I did about it. ... It's just - it's _so hard_, you know?" she whispered, and Ruby nodded slowly, pulling Belle onto her lap and leaning against the chair. Belle buried her face in the crook of Ruby's neck.

"So ... we're ... dating now ... right?" Ruby asked cautiously.

"Yes," Belle looked up, finally managing a small smile.

"But I still don't know anything about you."

"Well, I think we've let enough off our chests for one day."

Ruby laughed. "That is a very fair point, Miss French. Then when do I finally get to find out more about you?"

"How about tomorrow night - eight o'clock - by the toll bridge?"

"_This_ is a date, right?" she teased.

"As long as you come sober," Belle nudged her playfully.


	7. Baby Steps

Belle wasn't sure what to expect; it was only a first date, but she over-dressed anyway. She knew she had the moment her blue wedges stepped onto the gravel.

Ruby was already there, leaning over the rails of the bridge and looking up at the starry sky. She was dressed in jeans, a black leather jacket and an adorable red beret. Belle immediately considered racing back home and changing out of her ridiculous blue dress, but it was too late. Ruby had spotted her.

Belle gave her a nervous smirk, and Ruby waved her over.

"You look great," she smiled.

"So do you. I _love_ your dress."

Belle leaned over the railing next to her. "I'm sorry; I completely over-did it."

"Don't be sorry," Ruby laughed. "It looks good."

"Well, thank you." Her cheeks flushed pink, but she looked away, so Ruby wouldn't see.

They turned their heads toward the sky and stayed that way for some time. Neither of them spoke, but every so often one of them would shift so that they were closer together.

Ruby's hand covered Belle's lightly, shooting tingles up her arm.

"So ... " Belle finally broke the silence. "What's your favorite color?" she asked quietly.

Ruby gave her an amused smile as she turned to look at Belle, leaning into the railing with her side. "My favorite color is ... red."

"Oh right ... what a stupid question," Belle laughed.

"And what's your favorite color, Belle?"

"Blue - or - or yellow," she stuttered. "I can't decide."

"So you like green then?"

"It's all right. Why?"

"Well, blue and yellow make - never mind," Ruby laughed. "Do you want to take a walk?"

"Sure," Belle smiled cheerfully. To her immense pleasure, Ruby intertwined their fingers as she led the way into the woods.

Talking to Ruby was easy; they didn't have a considerably interesting conversation, but Belle devoured every word of it contently. By the time they reached the bridge again, almost an hour later, she could have filled a book with information about Ruby.

Ruby Lucas wakes up at precisely seven a.m. every morning, at which point she takes thirty minutes to get ready before running to school. She likes to run - it helps take her mind off things, and it makes her feel free. She hates the feeling of being tied down, which is why she has issues with her grandmother. Her favorite animal is a wolf; her favorite sport is soccer; her favorite food is pancakes; her favorite drink is chocolate milk; her favorite place is the woods; her favorite smell is the rain; her favorite book is _The Mysterious Island_ by Jules Verne; her favorite number is three; her favorite word is loquacious (because it sounds funny); she has no brothers or sisters; her best friends are Graham Humbert and Ella Boyd; she hates Frank Whale, her father, anything silver ("It's just not as good as gold; I don't know why people bother with it."), people who don't leave a tip and getting up before eleven in the morning; her first word was cookie; her earliest memory is riding her tricycle down a hill at 30 miles per hour while her grandmother ran after her from behind; she is terrified of spiders; and she is perfect.

Belle could have listened to her talk forever. Every once and a while, she would get really excited, and her eyes would light up, and her lips would split into the largest, most beautiful smile Belle had ever seen.

But the part Belle wasn't used to was that she was just as interested in what Belle had to say. Ruby listened eagerly to every word that came from her mouth, nodding in agreement at the right parts, letting out gasps when necessary and occasionally letting out a quiet, adorable giggle.

At one point, she slid her leather jacket off, revealing a spaghetti-strap shirt as red as her name, and cautiously placed it around Belle's shoulders, shielding her from the cold.

The hour they spent together was the most fun Belle had ever had, but far too soon, it was 9:45, and Belle had to leave to make her curfew. Ruby stopped walking halfway across the bridge and wrapped her arms securely around Belle, who, almost instinctively, snuggled into her, seeking the warmth that emanated from the beautiful girl.

"I had fun tonight," Ruby smiled down at her.

"So did I."

"Even though I talked your ear off the entire time?"

"Both of my ears are still perfectly attached to the sides of my head, so I see no problem." _What was that?_ Belle thought. _That's what you come __up with? Smooth._ But to her genuine surprise and pleasure, Ruby laughed her soft charming laugh.

"Belle?"

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do about tomorrow?"

The abruptness with which Belle had been called back to reality startled her. "I - I don't know," she stuttered. She hadn't even thought about this.

"Well, we could keep it a secret ... or we could walk in there and own the place."

Ruby smiled at the thought of the attention, but Belle was not nearly as excited by the spotlight. "I don't know, Ruby. I would have to tell my father, and everyone would be - well - watching me all day." She knew that there was a better way to phrase that, but she could not think of it at the moment.

"So you're ashamed of me?" Ruby raised her eyebrows with a smirk.

"No, of course not," Belle said immediately. "I'm just not used to people paying me any sort of attention. If I, the least popular girl in school, walk into high school tomorrow dating the most popular person in school, everyone is going to be looking at me differently. Not to mention, we're both women, so that's going to heighten everything by about 50 percent."

Ruby laughed. "I was just teasing you, Belle. I understand; you're shy. We can "come out of the closet" whenever you're ready," she smiled.

"Thanks, Ruby," Belle inwardly sighed with relief. "I really should go." She glanced down at her phone. "I'm supposed to be home in ten minutes."

Belle looked back up to see Ruby staring at her with those eyes - the same eyes she had used in the bathroom. "You probably want your jacket back," Belle whispered. She began to slide out of it, but Ruby grabbed both sides of the collar and held it in place, pulling Belle closer.

Belle wanted to kiss her so badly; it was almost to the point of being physically painful, but she gave a small smile as Ruby's lips came closer and whispered, "Not yet, Ruby. I don't want to give it all away on the first date, do I?"

Ruby's cheeks flushed pink, and she began to stutter nervously. Belle stifled a laugh at the sight of a Ruby without confidence, and she leaned in and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Baby steps," she whispered.

Ruby took the jacket that Belle had extended and smiled widely when Belle lingered. "All right; get out of here. I wouldn't want you to miss your curfew because of me."

**Author's note: Sorry I know it's been a while but I hope you guys like this chapter and I'm going to try to update faster now. **

**p.s. reviews help :)**


	8. Pebbles

**Oh my God people I am so sorry! I haven't updated this in forever, even after I said that I was going to update it more regularly. I'M A TERRIBLE PERSON AND PLEASE FORGIVE ME! As a reward for your patience, this is the longest chapter yet.  
**

"Ruby!" Ella let out a delighted shriek as she wrapped her arms tightly around her friend.

"Hey, Ella," Ruby smiled, returning the hug and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"I haven't seen you all day. Did you skip third hour again?"

"Yeah," Ruby shrugged. "Did I miss anything?"

"Well, there was a test, and we had a new lesson, but I wasn't listening. It was something to do with x's and y's. So do you want to hang out tonight? Sean and I are going to The Rabbit Hole."

"Oh! How fun! I could be the awkward third wheel," Ruby said sarcastically.

"Bring a date," Ella chuckled.

Ruby raised her eyebrows. "No thanks, Ella. Why don't you ask Killian and Milah to go?"

"Because they'll start having sex in the booth."

Ruby giggled. "How about David and Mary Margaret?"

"Mary Margaret only goes out on Saturdays. She has all those college classes."

"Okay ... um ... Aurora and Philip?"

"Busy."

"Regina and Daniel?"

"Regina? Are you kidding me?"

"Graham and Jamie?"

Ella shrugged.

"You're not giving me any help at all here. Why don't you forget the double dating and just spend some time with Sean? Unless there's something wrong," Ruby pressed.

"No, everything's fine," she replied hesitantly. "Just come, Ruby. You can bring Frank or something."

"When hell freezes over," Ruby answered bitterly as something caught her eye.

A flash of brown hair and blue sweater was walking into the bathroom, and Ruby's heart leapt with excitement.

"Look, Ella, just go out with Sean tonight. You'll be fine. I've got to go," Ruby rambled off.

"Where?"

"Uh - bathroom - since fifth hour."

"Okay," Ella said anxiously. "I'll text you later."

Ruby barely heard her; she was already hurrying down the hall and through the bathroom doors, leaning against the sink just as Belle emerged from the stall, stopping short at the sight in front of her.

"Hey," she blushed, stepping past Ruby to wash her hands.

"Hey," Ruby grinned. "How was your day?"

"It was good. We had a test in Physics today." Belle began to wipe her hands on a bundle of paper towels.

"And that's ... good?" Belle nodded eagerly. "So how do you think you did?"

"I know I got number 23 wrong. I forgot to convert my answer to meters per second. And I'm not sure about 42. But I did the extra credit right."

"How do you know you did it right?" Ruby laughed in amusement. She was so adorable.

"I checked my answers," shrugged Belle, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "What about you? How was your day?"

"Boring. I had a test too, but I know I failed."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because I skipped class," she smirked, and Belle rolled her eyes playfully, pulling her phone from her pocket and flipping it open.

"Damn it ... Ruby, I have to go."

Ruby felt her good mod deflate slightly. "All ready?"

"Sorry, Robert's waiting for me outside."

"Robert Gold?" Ruby had forgotten they were acquaintances.

"Yeah, he's my ride home," she confessed awkwardly. "Believe me. I don't want to go with him."

Ruby would have offered her a lift, but Ella was her only option, and that would only lead to immense awkwardness.

"Well, can I - uh - call you later?" she asked hopefully.

Belle smiled. "Of course you can. You can call me whenever you want. ... Well, I should ... " She wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist for a brief moment before pulling back. "My number's 555-0178." Her hands fell from Ruby's shoulders. "Don't leave me waiting all night," she beamed.

* * *

Ruby had been staring at the phone for half an hour. She really wanted to call Belle, to hear her voice. But there were two problems. One was that she was too nervous, and the other was that she had forgotten Belle's phone number.

She sat cross-legged on her bed for a few more minutes before rolling off, grabbing her keys and heading downstairs.

She was halfway out the door when a lazy, drunken command rang through the hall. "Ruby?"

"Yeah?" she sighed, her hand lingering on the door frame. "Bring home some beer."

Ruby bit down on her lip to stop herself from shouting back at him as she gave the door an extra loud slam.

* * *

It was much easier to find Belle's house this time. The sun had begun to fade away, taking with it the light and the warmth of the day, but Ruby still managed to sneak around the back, squinting her eyes and trying to figure out which of the many windows could be hers.

"Damn it, Belle," Ruby mumbled under her breath. She picked up a pebble from the garden and tossed it up and down in her hand, debating furiously with herself for a long time. _Should I throw it? What if I break a window? What if I hit the wrong one? This is absolutely ridiculous. I thought people only did this in movies. ... Oh for the love of - just throw the damned thing, Ruby!"_

Her arm moved before her brain could stop her again, and the stone hit the window farthest to her left. "Belle?" she whispered as loudly as possible. "Belle, are you there?" For a brief moment, she was fine. But then the panic started to ensue, and she ducked behind a bush, her heart racing as she heard the sound of a window being yanked open.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Belle's voice rang through the night, and Ruby's lips curved upward helplessly as she emerged from the bush, her face as red as her name.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Ruby?" Belle's jaw dropped slightly. "What are you doing here? It's late, and it's freezing!" exclaimed Belle as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"It's not so bad," Ruby shrugged, stepping closer to the window.

"How long have you been out there like that?" She pointed to Ruby's clothes - a long black shirt with light red flowers on and a short red skirt.

"Maybe five minutes," she lied. In reality, it had been at least double, if not triple that.

"But why are you here?" Belle called.

"I forgot your phone number," Ruby called back.

"So you came all the way here to ... talk to me?"

"Are you going to let me in or not?" she inquired playfully. Belle looked for a moment like she would say no but she let out a cute, quiet laugh and whispered, "Stay there."

Ruby did as she was told, her eyes cautiously flitting to the other windows to make sure she wasn't spotted. Finally, Belle opened the glass patio doors, jumping up and down on her toes and mouthing 'Hurry! It's cold!' She scrambled to Belle's side and lightly shut the door behind her.

"I'm not supposed to be here," Ruby said softly, and Belle nodded.

"I kind of assumed so. Don't worry. My dad's probably asleep. We'll just have to be very very quiet," she murmured, leading Ruby up the stairs, around the corner and into her room.

It was a little cleaner this time, but her bed was a mess. A breeze flew in through the open window, sending papers flying and a shiver along Ruby's back. "I told you it was freezing," Belle grinned widely, running forward to close the blinds before moving her backpack and books from the bed to the floor.

"So how quiet do we have to be?" asked Ruby, her voice barely audible.

"Not that quiet. ... Do you want a blanket or something? You're shivering."

"I'm fine. It's just so warm in here that I think I'm colder than I am."

Belle sat on her bed and patted the spot next to her. Ruby might have hurried forward a little to quickly but she was not about to waste any time, knowing how little they had.

She was biting her lip nervously as Ruby sank into the sheets beside her, pulling her legs up behind her. "Belle, is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just - " Her voice cut off, and Ruby reached out slowly and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers.

"I thought this could be date two," she said hopefully, staring at their joined hands.

"I'd like that," replied Belle softly. "Ruby ... just because it's a secret doesn't mean we're not ... dating, right?"

"Of course not, Belle. You're my girlfriend, and we're not ready to tell yet. It's okay."

"Okay," Belle locked eyes with her for a moment. "When do you have to leave?"

Ruby glanced at the alarm clock on Belle's bedside table. It was 8:15. "Well, considering I'm grounded, and Granny gets off at 9 ... soon," she let out a small moan. "This just isn't fair."

Belle was scooting forward slowly, inch by inch. "Do you want to meet up at school tomorrow?"

"Yes," she answered instantly, now moving forward to match Belle's pace until they couldn't move anymore.

"I promised myself I wasn't going to do this," Belle said softly as she leaned in, her hand squeezing Ruby's more firmly than ever.

Ruby didn't wait for Belle to get there first. She met her halfway, feeling Belle's surprise as she let out a stifled whimper. Ruby's free hand crept up to the back of Belle's neck, forcing them impossibly closer. To her surprise, Belle matched her speed and intensity eagerly, and when Ruby pulled her in too far, she toppled forward onto her girlfriend, never breaking the kiss. Her fingers tangled deeply into Ruby's dark hair, staying buried there even after she gently pulled back, her mouth mere centimeters from Ruby's as they both fought for breath.

Now Ruby really didn't want to leave. Her arms wrapped around Belle's waist as she shifted so that she was lying on her pillow. Ruby adjusted herself and turned to look at Belle, who was still breathing heavily. "You're really good at that," Ruby marveled.

"Thanks," Belle chuckled, snuggling into Ruby's side. "You're better." Ruby wrapped an arm around Belle's shoulders and allowed her to bury her face in the crook of her neck. She turned onto her side, her hand laying across Ruby's chest, her stomach curved against Ruby's side.

Quite suddenly, Ruby felt the cold in her vanish and her eyes grew heavy. She fought hard against the comfort that Belle provided, but when it was 8:30, and she could hear Belle's soft, beautiful breaths next to her ear, feel them against her collarbone, she suddenly found herself giving in. Her eyes fluttered to a close, and she leaned her cheek into Belle's hair as dreams captured her.


	9. Lies

Belle's alarm went off at 6:45 a.m. like it did every morning. She didn't open her eyes right away, and something stirred underneath her. Something that was warm and comfortable.

And it hit her like a bolt of lightning. Ruby. She sat up so fast that Ruby woke up beside her. Her eyes opened, slowly becoming wider and wider. She looked at Belle and she looked at the clock, immediately leaping off the bed. "Shit," she mumbled, running her hands anxiously through her hair. "Shit, shit, shit. Granny's going to kill me."

There was a sudden knock on the door that made both girls jump. "Belle? Are you up?"

"Yeah, dad, I'll be right down," she replied while Ruby paced back and forth beside her. Belle waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone before turning to Ruby. "Okay, I'll try to get him out of the house, and then you need to get home." Belle brushed past Ruby calmly, but Ruby grabbed her wrist and spun her around, catching her in her arms and capturing Belle's lips with her own in a deep, desperate kiss.

Belle smiled and reached up to lightly touch Ruby's cheek. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Ruby nodded slowly. "I'll see you at school?"

"Yeah," replied Belle breathlessly. "You know where I'll be."

* * *

Belle hadn't seen Ruby all day. She had looked for her before school and in between every class, even making several unnecessary trips to the bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found.

So when lunch came, Belle didn't know whether or not Ruby would show up. She really wanted her too. Even after only a few days, there was something very strong between them that was too hard to ignore.

Some part of her knew that Ruby wouldn't turn up, she thought, as the lunch bell rang. But she wasn't upset. She was worried.

* * *

Another day passed without Ruby. Belle was debating going to her house and demanding to see her but decided that wouldn't help with their plan of subtlety. It took four days. On Friday, Belle walked into the piano room to find Ruby already there, poking at the keys lightly, playing the same note over and over again.

"Ruby," Belle breathed. "Where have you been? I was worried sick about you!" She rushed to sit beside her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her, not missing the cringe that crossed over Ruby's face. "What is it?" Belle pulled back. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." She smiled, as if to prove her point, but Belle was not buying it for a second.

"Did you get in trouble?"

"Oh yeah. I thought Granny was going to murder me. I've never seen her so angry before." Her eyes unfocused themselves for a minute. "So how was your week?"

"Awful ... I missed you. But it's okay. I'm just glad you're all right. ... So why didn't you come back to school?"

"Didn't feel like it," she shrugged, avoiding Belle's eyes.

Belle sighed and lifted Ruby's chin with her finger. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"Of course I do, Belle - "

"Then I'm going to ask you one more time." She gave her a serious expression. "Are you sure you're all right?" She searched Ruby's eyes, begging her to tell the truth.

But she firmly repeated, "I'm fine."

"Okay," Belle surrendered hesitantly.

Ruby gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand, glancing up at the clock. "Five minutes," she sighed. "How can we only have five minutes?"

"I don't know," Belle replied angrily. This wasn't fair. Five minutes wasn't enough. Not when she wanted to be with Ruby all day and all night. "Are you grounded again?"

"Yeah, I always am. Why?"

"I just really want to see you."

"I know, me too." Ruby played gently with Belle's hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of her fingers. "I wish I could break out again, but I think Granny really would kill me."

"What if I come over instead? I could say we were working on homework or - "

"No," Ruby rejected the idea immediately. "I - I mean ... thanks ... but it's probably a bad idea."

"Since when has that stopped you?" asked Belle.

"I just don't want you to have to see that."

"Ruby, it doesn't matter to me as long as I get to see you. If you want this to work, you have to let me in."

"I know," she sighed impatiently. "I'm telling you: _I. Am. Fine._"

Belle tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Ruby's ear apologetically, though she knew she was still being lied to. "If you say so." She looked at the clock again. Only one minute. "Will I see you over the weekend?" Belle asked hopefully, but she already knew the answer.

Ruby shook her head. "How about you meet me underneath the bleachers after school?"

"By the football field?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be there." Belle blushed at the coy smile on Ruby's face.

The bell rang overhead, and Ruby leaned forward suddenly and pressed a soft kiss to Belle's lips. "I'll see you later," she whispered as her fingers lingered over Belle's cheeks.

And with that she was gone, walking straight to the bleachers to wait for Belle.


	10. Scars

Ruby sat under the cold metal seats for only a couple hours before she heard the excited shouts of her classmates as they rushed home for the weekend. She lazily flipped through a few songs on her iPod, trying to ignore the stiffness in her back and shoulders. Every part of her ached, and she was not doing a good job of hiding it, especially from Belle.

Ruby knew she couldn't keep this secret for much longer. A large part of her wanted to tell her girlfriend. But how could she start? How could she even being to explain? Her eyes began to feel damp, and she quickly brushed the tears away when she heard soft footsteps approaching. "Ruby?" Belle's quiet, nervous voice echoed through the silence, and Ruby stuffed her headphones in her pocket and called back, "Belle? I'm under here."

Her girlfriend crouched down and crawled forward until she was beside Ruby. "So how much time do you have?" Belle asked.

"I can probably find an excuse for fifteen minutes."

Belle was trying to get comfortable, lying on her side and using her hand to prop herself up. "Well, what can we do in fifteen minutes?"

Ruby knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to forget. For however long she could. No matter what she had to do. Bravely, she turned Belle's face towards her own and rested her hand on the back of the neck, pushing her closer and locking her lips in a passion-filled kiss.

Belle let out a stifled moan of surprise at the contact and closed her eyes firmly; her free hand gripped the front of Ruby's shirt in her fist, pulling them impossibly closer. Cautiously, Ruby's tongue swept over the bottom of Belle's lower lip, and the beauty opened her mouth wider and allowed Ruby to carry on as goosebumps began to riddle her arms.

Ruby was pressed up against the bars of the bleachers. They dug into her back when Belle grabbed her face and continued to kiss her, biting down on her lip like an animal.

It was working. Ruby felt all her memories slipping away. There was nothing but Belle now. Belle, who was lying down on the grass. Belle, who was pulling Ruby on top of her. Belle, who was ripping off her leather jacket and tossing it aside. Belle, who was allowing Ruby to slide her hands up her shirt and gently feel her stomach.

Ruby pulled back and ran her lips gently across Belle's jawline. She felt the hot, rapid breaths against her ear and the shudder that coursed through Belle's body. Belle's fingers were tangled in her hair and pulled at it roughly. Ruby let out a small moan of pain, and Belle stopped, worry in her eyes. "Sorry," she whispered nervously. "I didn't mean - "

"Don't," Ruby smiled lustfully, leaning forward to kiss Belle again, her foot now moving up and down over Belle's legs, tangled in her own.

Her hands slid further up Belle's shirt, stopping when she felt the smooth material of a bra. Belle stiffened suddenly. "Belle, I can - I can stop," Ruby panted.

"No," she mumbled, her nails digging into Ruby's back. "It's just - I've never done this before," she blushed.

Ruby smiled. "It's okay. I'll help you ... if you want me to."

Belle's eyes locked onto hers and she whispered in a mesmerized voice, "I want you to."

The smile stayed on Ruby's lips as she gave Belle another soft kiss, gently guiding her hands to Ruby's waist. Belle closed her eyes, catching on quickly as she pulled off Ruby's shirt. Her fingers slowly crept over Ruby's back, exploring every scar, every inch, the red, stinging marks that Ruby was trying so hard to hide. But it didn't matter now. They were in far too deep to notice the pain or the feel of raw, red skin.

Ruby pulled Belle's t-shirt over her head, tossing it over to where Ruby's leather jacket lay forgotten. She began to kiss Belle's collar bone, very slowly trailing down to just above her skirt. Belle's fists were clenched, her arms flat on the ground, her eyes closed and her mouth open slightly, no sound coming out.

"Belle ... are you okay?" Ruby pulled back for a moment.

Belle just bit her lip and mumbled, "Mm hmm..." She reached up blindly, wrapping her hand around Ruby's neck and rising upwards to kiss her on the mouth again.

They switched places. Ruby felt the grass start to tickle her skin as Belle fell on top of her. She gripped Belle's waist tightly as she heard her name escape Belle's lips.

Belle's hand rested over Ruby's heart, unsure of where it should go next, and Ruby grabbed it and gently slid it down to her jeans. Belle's breathing quickened, and Ruby knew she had finally gone too far. She slowly pulled it up to her mouth and kissed Belle's fingers and her palm.

Belle was half-lying on top of Ruby. She looked like she might cry, her hand shaking as Ruby held it. "Hey," Ruby smiled softly, pulling Belle into her arms and wrapping her protectively by her side. "It's okay. I shouldn't have pushed you so fast." She gently brushed a lock of curly brown hair from Belle's eyes.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I want to. I'm just ... "

"Not ready," Ruby finished, and Belle nodded gratefully. "Belle, it's okay," she assured her.

Belle kissed Ruby's temple gently. "How much time do we have left?"

"I'll check," Ruby sat up, letting out a small grunt at her efforts. She was reaching for her jacket pocket when she heard Belle gasp. Ruby froze. How could she have been so stupid?

"Ruby ... what's wrong with your back?" Cold fingers ran over Ruby's skin. She felt the stinging pain again and winced.

"Ruby ... " Belle's blue eyes were brimming with tears once more. This time, they spilled onto her cheeks. "Ruby, who did this to you?" Her voice was laced with worry and pain of her own.

"No one. It's nothing," she insisted firmly, quickly throwing on her jacket to hide the marks.

Belle gripped her wrist violently and spun her around. Her eyes were wide, determined and scared. "Ruby...?"

"It ... it ..." Ruby turned her face away and mumbled, "It was my dad..." Belle's hand crept onto her shoulder, her fingers still tracing lightly over Ruby's jacket.

Ruby bit down on her lip to stop the tears that threatened to cascade from her eyes. She didn't cry. Ruby Lucas did not cry. To cry was to make yourself vulnerable, and if she opened herself up now, there was no telling what would come out. So she settled for the comforting touch of Belle stroking her hair and the reassuring sound of her voice as she rebuilt her wall, ignoring the pain in her chest that echoed with every breath.

**a/n: To be honest, this was a little outside of my comfort zone, so if it isn't completely accurate or is super terrible, I apologize. **


End file.
